House Panel Passes Bill Aimed at Helping Small Businesses Improve Their Cyber Defenses

The House Science Committee passed legislation Tuesday requiring the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the government’s cybersecurity standards agency, to provide guidance and other resources to small businesses to help them bolster their cyber posture.

H.R. 2105, the “NIST Small Business Cybersecurity Act of 2017,” was approved by voice vote and was introduced by Rep. Daniel Webster. An amendment by Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Calif., requiring NIST to also provide useful case studies for how small businesses can improve their cybersecurity, was also approved.

NIST released a guide for small businesses to help them improve their cybersecurity last November.